Reviews by atsprings:

Had this one recently at Flying Saucer and reviewed from notes. 22oz bottle into a standard pint glass a deep copper with a thin diminishing head. Aroma is burnt caramel, dried fruits, molasses and dark malts. The taste is a nice blend of dark malts, caramel, molasses and mild bitter cocoa. The beer is a bit on the heavy side, but is a smooth sipper. This is a certainly a beer worth trying, but not much more than that.

More User Reviews:

Poured into a tulip glass a deep mahogany brown with a tinge of amber,not any head to speak of really,seemed to be almost uncarbonated .Aromas are great,dark fruit,candied sugar,light Belgian yeast,even a hint of smoky peat.Flavors have a gummy,fruity sweetness with light phenols,its quite alcoholic as it warms.I have had Belgian/Scotch dark ales before and this doesnt measure up for me,I like the cause and the strory on the label,the beer..eh.

Peppery alcohol mouthfeel with some sweetness rounding out the edges. Nice balance of soft and prickly.

Pretty drinkable, alcohol not all that noticeable. Reminds me of a holiday winter warmer, a style that doesn't normally excite me. The Belgian yeast provides a nice intricacy of mouthfeel and some fruitiness but detracts from the best part of a scotch ale, the robust malt character.

Poured into a tulip, this brew pours a deep burgundy, almost black, with no head at all.

S: The aroma on this one is really bland. I've smell sweeter, more pronounced beers from BMC than this brew. Really disappointing.

T: The flavor is a little toasty with a strong malt carmelness. I'm trying to pick out the Trappist yeast strain they used, but I'd have to say it didn't add much of anything to this brew.

MF: The mouthfeel isn't bad, but it really isn't anything to brag about. Not much carbonation, and light to medium bodied.

D: For this style, the drinkability is higher then average. I've had far too many Scotch ales that were beyond way tooo sweet. (Cite CCB Big Sound).

Overall, What was Terrapin thinking with this one? This is the beer that they brew in honor of Virginia who lost her battle with Multiple Myeloma? I'm really disappointed, and for the price...I almost want a refund. I almost sent this one as a trade extra....so glad I didn't.

This is listed as a "Belgian Style Scotch Ale" brewed with Rochefort yeast. Sounds promising.

Pours a very dark brown with a decent head. Not much lacing on this one.

Nose is mostly Belgian yeast. A touch of spice here or there, but really pretty one dimensional. Taste follows. Up front, this beer is as smooth as cola with a slight sweetness. On the back end I get all the Belgian yeast flavors. Not so much Scotch Ale, though.

Mouth is medium heavy, it goes down smooth. There just isn't much going on. The prospect of a Belgian Style Scotch Ale sounded like a great idea. We just need more Scotch Ale flavors.

I hate rating a Terrapin beer so low, but this one just isn't doing it for me. Come to think of it, Reunion 2009 was a bust for me too, even though I didn't review it. Maybe it's just this particular series.

Pours a slightly hazy chestnut brown color with a half-finger cream-colored head. The head recedes into a wispy layer on top leaving solid lacing.

Smells of deep caramel malts with hints of toastiness. Also present are good amounts of spicy hops and hints of dark fruit.

Tastes similar to how it smells. Grainy caramel malt flavors with moderate amounts of toastiness kick things off. Midway through the sip hints of hop spiciness make an appearance before fading out a bit and letting the malt flavors sweeten. Very light hints of toffee flavors make a brief appearance before fading out into a fairly sweet ending.

Mouthfeel is good. It's got a nice thickness with smooth carbonation.

Drinkability is also good. I didn't have any problems finishing my glass and could have another.

Overall I enjoyed this beer and while I got a lot of scotch ale out of it I didn't get a whole lot of Belgian. Still, a solid beer that's worth a shot and a good cause to support.

"Belgian Style Scotch Ale"? No idea what to expect here, but I'm always up for mutant/freak beer, so let's go...

Head is immediately a bubbly, crackly, active thing, bubbles popping left and right, which means it dies off fairly, but it's cool while it lasts, and I love when a beer makes noise. The color is an entrancing thing of mahogany made even more hypnotic with its opaque haziness.

The aroma falls a bit flat, though. I get nothing Belgian out of it, no tell-tale signs of Scotch Ale either. There's a healthy bit of black cherry pushing through, a hint of cola and vanilla as well, and some alcohol. It basically smells like Vanilla Cherry Coke.

Flavor is a little better, although I'm finding it hard to believe it was brewed with an "authentic Trappist Belgian yeast strain," as the label states. Really? I can't find it. It's covered up, perhaps, by milk chocolate notes, a little more cherry, other dark fruits, a little more vanilla, a little more cola, and even some white chocolate characteristics. It's juicy, fruity, not too sweet, even shows a little smoke/peat personality way back...but it's all a bit muddled. At least it feels a bit more "Scotch Ale" than the nose would suggest. Definitely interesting, I'll give it that, and no problem to finish.

Good buoyant, slippery, slick feel, a good balance of carbonation sizzle, syrupy stickiness and velvety body. Very much a compelling and different texture.

Terrapin sometimes has trouble with the fusion/mutant beers. Some, like this one, lack direction and are a bit messy. This one was brewed for a good cause (to benefit myeloma and bone cancer research), and you gotta respect that, but you also can't automatically award it high scores as a result. It's good, and I enjoyed picking apart its various flavors, but it's very much a corrupted Scotch Ale. I'm not even close to a style purist, but the Scotch Ale base wasn't firm enough, and the Belgian character? Nowhere to be found...still, worth a try if you're into interesting experimental hybrids...

Hmmm... Belgian Style Scotch Ale... kind of like Scotch Silly? Belgian brewers were influenced by foreign soldiers during the war, and later on the "Scotch" style just stuck. Curiously enough, it's not that common anymore. Good choice Terrapin!

Poured into an Imperial pint Nonick glass it forms an inch and a half thick head of pillowy tan foam atop a hazy russet and copper colored body. The head retention is quite good, and although it slowly dwindles down to a thin cap - and then creamy collar and whispy surface covering - it leaves solid rings of lacing about the glass.

I could smell the sugary sweet malt as it rose in the glass, and it's certainly there. It's more than just the malt though, it's the Belgian yeast as well. It's caramelish with a burnt sugar edge, and candy sweet as well with notes of strong clove and vanilla. But there's also the sweet and gently tart note of sugary, dried dark fruit (plum/prune, raisin, cherry) that comes from the yeast to kind of balance it.

In the mouth it's full bodied and creamy smooth with a moderate carbonation. It certainly seems as if it could have been bottle-conditioned, but I don't know, at least I can say it's that nice. I can't recall, however, whether or not this would be appropriate for a Belgian Scotch ale... it certainly fits the bill for a standard Wee Heavy.

The flavor is everything that the nose suggests and a little more. There's a mild spiciness from the yeast, and some nice leafy hop notes. As it warms some of the alcohol makes itself known. The bitterness is restrained, but still present, and when combined with the alcohol and the spiciness of the yeast and its dark-fruit component, it's enough to tame the sweetness and leave it seemingly dry in the finish. There is a lot of residual sugar left there, but this is not a beer you race through. You want to savor that rich, semi-sweet finish. You enjoy it sip by sip, slowly, and it works.

As to drinkability, it is perhaps a touch over the top. The fermentation temperature might have been held in check better, reigning in some of the yeast character (or perhaps another yeast could have been chosen), but it is what it is. A single serving is more than pleasant enough, and the complexity will surely maintain your interest. A second serving, on the other hand, simply becomes more of the first. So, hedonistically, I have to look at the first glass as my measure - and I really enjoyed it! Worth trying for sure.

A- Poured a dark brown, hints of crimson. Crystal clear. Nearly zero head. On my last glass, I poured EXTREMELY vigorously and only then got about a 1/2 finger head that faded immediately. No lacing, hardly any carbonation in the appearance.

S- Rich malty aroma with hints of caramel and hazelnut and an earthy after-aroma.

T- A caramel banana bread taste with a bit of woodiness, but not as much as I'd like.

M- Medium-bodied, a little syrupy. Not much bite at all, neither alcohol or carbonation. A bit more bite would have been nice.

D- I really appreciate the effort on this one, but it's a little too sweet for me. I wish it had a bit more bite and maybe some earthier notes to it.

Consumed at a special release party held at Barley's in Greenville, SC. Served from tap into a tulip. Pours a dark dark brown with a one finger off-white head. Maintains nice lacing throughout. The aroma is comprised of spices, citrus, and a nice sour note. The flavor was of spices, alcohol, fruit, and sweet malt. It was light on the palate with medium carbonation. Overall this was a very nice brew that was very smooth with a spicy kick. It was very light on the palate but still maintained bold flavoring that were quite nice. Looking forward to the actual release of this one so I can snag up a few bottles.

Out of the bottle the body forms an apparent dark brown chestnut/caramel like body, but when shone to light it becomes a gorgeous ruby red. Head doesn't stick around much of it's foamy nature, kind of light in appearance and a simple light tan.

Bouquet is a good strong thick malt typical of a Scotch Ale but, mixes an airy whisp of Belgian like yeast. At first it's seems kind of odd, but after sometime I seem to enjoy it more. There's a little hint of banana and fruity esters too.

On taste though it comes off as a cross between several different styles. Malty banana palate like a Marzen/Doppelbock, spicy yeast like a Hefeweizen, and then finishes like a Scotch Ale with steely like caramel. Body though is incredibly wet and finish doesn't last. Tongue gets numb after awhile

Overall I am kind of not thrilled with this, it tastes like a complete mess. The cause is great though.

Pours a hazy mahogany with a thin off-white head that dissipates quickly, leaving perhaps just a spot or two of haze. Sweet, malty aromas of brown sugar, molasses, and raisin dominate the nose, and the taste follows through similarly, but with a good amount of Belgian character from the yeast, Sweet and more then a bit boozy, but surprisingly easy drinking. Mouthfeel is a touch thinner then I'd like, and lacking that "stickiness" that I like in my Scotch Ales. Probably about medium-bodied overall, with a decent amount of carbonation. Overall a solid beer, but an amazing cause!

Poured a hazel brown with a nice 1 inch head that slowly faded lacing up the sides. Much visible carbonation and a noticeable hissing sound. Smell was very nutty, and I mean that literally. Smell was of nuts and caramel with a hint of hops and just a touch of alcohol, smells like its gonna warm you up. The taste was very very sweet, syrupy and lots of dark fruit flavors. Very sugary sweet, no real taste of alcohol, which at 8%abv is a nice touch.

Aromas are dominated by the Belgian half of this beer equation. Scotch ale half adds the caramels and burnt sugars and maltiness.

The tastes start of Scotch with the caramelized sugars and hints of vanilla. The traditional malty caramel and roasted malt flavors is undoubtedly present here. The Belgian yeast allows it to finish much drier than any Scotch ale I have every had. Interesting, I enjoyed this different characteristic.

Drinkability is quite high for the Abv. Its is mighty tasty, a great exploration of typical malt style vs yeast. A good combo though making for an interesting and tasty brew. Shares some qualities of a Quad, but not at the same time, interesting and good though to say the least. Appreciate the effort.

Pours a deep brown with a finger of head that dies down to a bubbly collar.

The aroma is lightly toasted malt, Belgian yeast and spices, sweet caramel, and floral hoppiness. A bit of alcohol burn.

The flavor doesn't really remind me of a wee heavy at all. I realize that this is a "Belgian Style" wee heavy....but it is more reminiscent of just a straight up dubbel. Pretty nice though. Some caramel and raisin sweetness and bready malts. Lots of spices...nutmeg, cinnamon, pepper.

The body is a bit too light for a wee heavy but damn near perfect for a dubbel. Tough to score here.

Overall this beer is very tasty and this 8.5% ABV bomber is disappearing quickly. Judged on its own merits rather than the Beer Advocate style listing, it is a winner

T: The taste starts out sweet with flavors of caramel dark fruit, bourbon and vanilla. Then some breadiness comes in from a hearty malt character and Belgian yeast. The hops presence is mild but complementary and brings some balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet.